Master of Science in Global Environmental Studies

The Program

With the global environmental challenges of our time, there will be a continued need to monitor the quality of our rapidly changing environment, to interpret and manage the impacts of human actions, and to develop restoration strategies. Environmental scientists will be needed for planning and constructing buildings and transportation corridors, and for protecting water resources. Consulting services will be in demand for waste management, remediation of polluted areas, waste minimization, resource recovery, pollution prevention, and developing green products and sustainable systems.

Bryant's Master of Science in Global Environmental Studies program is designed to prepare students to work in any setting, from multinational corporations to organizations dedicated to grappling with global environmental challenges, and to prepare international students to address their nation's challenges. The flexibility of this program allows graduate students with science backgrounds to understand and prepare for addressing international challenges from a sustainable systems point of view, and at the same time provides opportunities for those with business backgrounds to acquaint themselves with environmental management problems and develop effective intervention skills.

Employment of environmental scientists and specialists is expected to increase by 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, with job growth strongest in private-sector consulting firms, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Engaged learning + applied scholarship

The Master of Science degree in Global Environmental Studies is intended for graduate students interested in professional careers in fields such as environmental management, policy making, NGO development, site assessment, toxics mitigation, renewable energy implementation, energy efficiency improvements, green building technologies, coastal planning, land use assessment, and wetlands protection.

The program features a high degree of flexibility for selecting courses suited to a student's career plans; an emphasis on research, data analysis, and publication; opportunities for international collaboration; direct interaction with faculty scholars; and development of technical skills and certification.

The Master of Science in Global Environmental Studies will prepare graduate students for a variety of professional careers in businesses, government, and academic settings. Students can accumulate skills certification, field experience, internships, and international/cultural training to enhance their degree, and will be qualified for environmental technology careers, or to move forward in advanced graduate studies (such as doctoral or professional degrees in environmental policy, resource management, or legal studies). Bryant's M.S. in Global Environmental Studies program affords students the opportunity to work directly with research faculty in a multidiscipliinary department, while gaining extensive hands-on experience in well-equipped laboratories. The degree program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis.

The program includes collaboration with professors and students at the China University of Geosciences (CUG) at Wuhan, including study abroad opportunities for U.S. students, and a student exchange program for Chinese students.

The Integrated Five-Year Program offers undergraduate students at Bryant the potential for completing a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree at Bryant in five years, with a specialty focus that will prove to be advantageous for careers in the applied environmental fields, or as preparation for further graduate studies or certification programs.

The Integrated Five-Year Program is primarily for Environmental Science majors who can assemble 400/500 level courses to complete the program in a minimum of one additional year plus one summer, with the possibility of using the summer between the junior and senior year.

Completion of a thesis resulting from a laboratory or field research project will be required for each candidate in order to receive the Master of Science degree in Global Environmental Studies. International experiences will be encouraged.

Distinguished Faculty

The Science and Technology Department is committed to academic excellence. Our programs, led by dedicated faculty and delivered in quality facilities, will prepare students for environment-focused careers or for further graduate or professional study. The department emphasizes personalized educational experiences with a global perspective.

Students can expect to become proficient in these core competencies:

• Ability to use systems thinking for incorporating different types of technology and information when making environmental decisions
• Capability of analyzing cost/benefit factors involved in complex environmental problems
• Commitment to seeking sustainable solutions
• Ability to conduct basic or applied research that provides a meaningful contribution to the scientific community and society as a whole
• Become an environmental expert and highly competitive for environmental positions in government agencies, private industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

Students will also acquire these specific competencies:

• Information technology software commonly used by environmental experts for quantification, inventory database management, web-based resources, etc., Geographic Information Systems - GIS. Specialties might also include robotics, mathematical, modeling, and advanced statistical analysis.
• Hands-on experience with equipment commonly used by environmental technology professionals , such as Gas Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry - GC/MS and ICP/MS, Liquid Chromatography - HPLC, Automated Solvent Extraction - ASE, Ultraviolet/Visible Light Spectrometry - UV-VIS, Scanning Electron Microscopy - SEM
• Familiarity with a variety of environmental monitoring equipment and protocols , e.g., for water testing, atmospheric monitoring, toxicity assessment, measuring physical parameters, biological diversity analysis, radiation impacts, etc.
• Scientific and technical writing/oration -- assessing audience orientation, seeking clear and logical explanations, accomplishsed by accurate and relevant documentation, preparation of publishable papers, and opportunities for conference presentations

Admission Requirements

Applications are accepted and considered at any time. (There is no application deadline.)

• Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in environmental science or a related field, with courses in biology, chemistry, ecology, geosciences, or applied environmental science.  Math background should include calculus and statistics.  Students must have a GPA of 3.0 in their major.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a nonrelated field should provide GRE scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing), and are expected to have an overall GPA of 3.0.
• Statement of Purpose (300-500 word essay), which can include professional plans; special circumstances; research experience; abilities; awards, achievements, and publications; areas and projects of interest.
• Three letters of recommendation. (Download the recommendation form here.)
• Complete application form, resume and transcripts.
• Applicants with training outside the environmental sciences, but with professional experience in environmental management, engineering, planning, or NGO work, will receive consideration, but must provide GRE scores to augment their package if they did not have an undergraduate major in the sciences.

Provisional acceptance is possible with GPAs ranging from 2.75 to 2.90, but such candidates must have a GPA of 3.0 at the end of six credit hours after starting in the program.

Course Selections

Program Courses

(Sample condensed program; courses may be offered in alternate years)

Fall - Choose two courses (different areas) + thesis

Winter Session - course choice will vary from year to year; you will choose one

Spring - Choose two to three courses (different specialties + thesis preparation)

Summer Courses - Three-week condensed courses - 2.5 to 3 hours a day - lecture/lab course)

Choose one to two courses (different specialties)

Summer Session I or II or Evening

Open Elective (any graduate-level course at Bryant in areas such as Accounting, Administrative Studies, Communication, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Legal Studies, Public Policy and Government, Management, Marketing, and Statistics  - MAY BE TAKEN AT ANY TIME IN PROGRAM

Thesis (Summer)